July 2021August 2021 September 2021

08/02 - Klahane Ridge

We made it up to Klahane Ridge via the Switchback Trail. We got an early start, so the shadows were long. The flowers were blooming, and the hills were green. It's a hard climb, around 1450', and while there are switchbacks, it ascends briskly. We took a few breaks to catch our breath, but we knew that the only way to the ridge is to keep climbing.

A view while climbing

Another view

The trail again

The cliffs

Lingering snow to the north of the ridge

A view from the ridge

Another view with the Olympics

Flowers

More flowers

Looking up Mount Angeles

Paintbrush, in context

Larkspur

More paintbrush

A view on the way down, different light

Harebells

The umbrella forest, almost back at the trailhead

Water in motion

Bog orchid

More water, in context

Keywords: flowers, klahane ridge


08/01 - Second Beach at Extreme Low Tide

There have been some extremely low tides out at Second Beach this summer. The beach only recently reopened to the public, so we took advantage of the reopening and a recent low tide to see the beach at its widest and head out to the sea stack that is usually an unreachable island.

We expected big crowds, but the trail and beach were relatively quiet. The Third Beach trailhead parking lot, in contrast, was overflowing. We hiked through the forest and descended to the beach. There is usually a driftwood barrier to clamber over, but the beach was clear this time. The driftwood had drifted elsewhere.

We made our way to the sea stack dry shod. It was great to see so many starfish. With the plague wiping out so many of them some years back and recent stories of sea creatures being cooked in their shells we expected the worst. There were starfish and a good many of them. It was far from the years before the plague, but they were not hard to find.

We explored the sea stack, its caves and its seaward side. Then we headed down the beach into the light mist. With an extreme negative tide like this, there was lots of beach and it was easy going. There were more starfish down near the cave at the end of the beach and anemones galore. We spent some time exploring here and then made our way back to the return forest trail.


The trail to Second Beach

No driftwood blocking the way

The hole in the wall towards La Push

The sea stack off shore

A welcome sight

More starfish

Even more starfish

Anemones

A starfish pool

Faint mist

More sea stacks

Pelicans or pterodactyls?

More pelicans

The beach

More starfish and friends

Tide pools

Even more starfish

Saying good bye to the sea stack

The trail back

Keywords: second beach, summer, third beach, tides


July 2021August 2021 September 2021